(Encyclopedia) Three Gorges Dam, 607 ft (185 m) high and 7,575 ft (2,309 m) long, on the Chang (Yangtze) River, central Hubei prov., China, 30 mi (48 km) W of Yichang. The largest concrete structure…
(Encyclopedia) solenoidsolenoidsōˈlənoidˌ [key], device made of a long wire that has been wound many times into a tightly packed coil; it has the shape of a long cylinder. If current is sent through…
(Encyclopedia) Pecos, river, 926 mi (1,480 km) long, rising in N N.Mex. near the Truchas peaks and flowing SE across E N.Mex. and W Tex. to the Rio Grande; drains c.38,300 sq mi (99,200 sq km). In…
(Encyclopedia) day, period of time for the earth to rotate once on its axis. The ordinary day, or solar day, is measured relative to the sun, being the time between successive passages of the sun…
(Encyclopedia) ApatosaurusApatosaurusăpˌətəsôrˈəs, āˌpătˌə– [key], [Gr.,=deceptive lizard], quadruped saurischian dinosaur, estimated to be from 70 to 90 ft (21 to 27 m) in length and to weigh up to…
(Encyclopedia) gouramigouramig&oomacr;räˈmē [key], tropical freshwater fish of the labyrinth fish suborder. Like other members of that suborder, gouramis have a labyrinthine breathing apparatus…
(Encyclopedia) woodpecker, common name for members of the Picidae, a large family of climbing birds found in most parts of the world. Woodpeckers typically have sharp, chisellike bills for pecking…
(Encyclopedia) badger, name for several related members of the weasel family. Most badgers are large, nocturnal, burrowing animals, with broad, heavy bodies, long snouts, large, sharp claws, and long…
Ancestor of Mammals Discovered The fossil skull of a 260-million-year-old sheep-sized animal was found near Williston on the Northern Cape, South Africa. It is the most primitive member yet…
